HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK enjoyed a successful season opener at the Maxxis British motocross championship at Little Silver, Exeter yesterday with Jake Nicholls finishing on the podium, Graeme Irwin taking his first ever MX2 win and Natalie Kane dominating the women’s races.

In the all-new qualifying format for the . . . → Read More: SUCCESS FOR HM PLANT RED BULL KTM AT SEASON OPENER]]>

HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK enjoyed a successful season opener at the Maxxis British motocross championship at Little Silver, Exeter yesterday with Jake Nicholls finishing on the podium, Graeme Irwin taking his first ever MX2 win and Natalie Kane dominating the women’s races.

In the all-new qualifying format for the MX2 class, in which the top twelve from the timed session are given a superpole flying lap to establish their gate pick, Nicholls earned himself third place with teammate Irwin, who didn’t expect to be lining up to race this weekend due to a shoulder injury, close behind in fourth in the wet and muddy track conditions.

In the opening 20-minute plus two-lap moto, which forms part of the new-for-2010 three race schedule, Nicholls fired away from the start clinching the holeshot with Irwin in second place. Although Nicholls had pulled a small lead, Irwin was able to take advantage of a mistake from his teammate on lap three, and the Irishman continued with blistering form to stretch out a nine second lead at the chequered flag to spectacularly win his first ever British Championship moto and the first race of the season. Nicholls ended an eventful race in a strong sixth position.

In race two Nicholls scored another holeshot aboard his KTM 250 SX-F, while Irwin didn’t quite get the start he had hoped for and was in 11th place by the end of lap one. Nicholls engaged in a battle with Zac Osbourne and lost out to the American rider on lap three, but maintained a good rhythm to finish in a solid second position. Meanwhile Irwin, who had fought his way to eighth by lap three, had another fall and clawed his way back to a respectable ninth place.

For the final moto of the day the track had dried somewhat, but was tough and rough in many places. Both HM Plant Red Bull KTM riders got good starts with Nicholls taking the lead and Irwin in fourth place at the end of lap one. 19-year-old Nicholls engaged in another fierce battle with Osbourne to finish second and runner-up overall, while Irwin battled with a number of riders to finish in an eventual fifth position and an impressive fifth overall.

In the women’s races Kane demonstrated an almost-flawless performance after taking pole position, and winning both of her 16-minute plus two-lap races. The 18-year-old, who made her KTM debut this weekend, took the overall honours, as she kicks off her season with the aim to build her speed for the first Women’s World Championship round in April.

Jake Nicholls #45: MX2 2nd Overall
“Fifth in Superpole was good, as doing a one-off flying lap is not particularly one of my strong points. In the first race I got the holeshot, but crashed after a few laps, which was just a lack of concentration on my part with it being the first race of the year. I got up and managed to salvage sixth place. In the second race I holeshotted again, and plugged away as much as I could after Zac came past. I didn’t ride so good, as I was a little pumped up, but I was happy enough with second place. In the last race I holeshotted again, and I wasn’t quite finding my lines. It was a pretty similar story to the second race really, and with two laps to go I thought I was on my own when Martin Barr was just close behind me and I had to fight to the finish. I ended up second overall, which is a good start to the year for me, as I’ve worked hard, and I haven’t done that much riding recently with the weather. The plan now is just to keep riding and training to build things up for the first Grand Prix with some good speed.”

Graeme Irwin #555: MX2 5th Overall
“Overall I’m really happy with today. Qualifying wasn’t too bad we were third after the timed session then fourth after superpole, which I was happy with, as it’s a new thing to me and not something I’ve had a lot of practice at. The first race was mega. I got a good start and was close behind Jake. He got away a little, but I managed to start catching him back when he made a mistake and I took the lead. The bike was feeling good and I was able to pull away to take my first ever win, which I’d like to dedicate to my Granda who passed away three months ago today. It was certainly a really great feeling to win the first race of the season. In the second race I got a bit boxed in off the start. I tried to make some headway but aggravated my shoulder, which I injured a week ago, when I came off on one of the tabletops, although I managed to come back to ninth. I got a good start in the third race and ended up fifth with fifth overall, which I’m really happy with because we weren’t sure I’d be racing this weekend during last week. It’s a good start to the season and now I’ll be continuing my training and riding the bike as much as possible, as well as getting my shoulder up to full strength for the next few weeks.”

Natalie Kane #44: MX Ladies Winner
“Qualifying was good; we were first by over five seconds, so I was happy with that. In the first race I was second off the line going into the first turn but took the lead two corners later. I came round on the first lap but hit one of the kickers off the tabletops and nearly went over the bars, so I hurt my chest and winded myself, which I struggled with over the next couple of laps. I tightened up and managed to ride tight, so towards the end of the race I had got myself properly going again and took the win. In the second race I got the holeshot, and felt good, so I just kept my head down to lead to the finish. I’m really happy with everything and the KTM. It’s taken a while to get used to it, as it’s different from any other bike I’ve ridden and a little taller, which has also been a challenge as I’m quite short, but now I’m really loving it. We’re just working on doing some races to get myself ready for the first Women’s World Championship race in April.”

HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK Team Manager: Roger Magee
“This has been a very positive start to the season. We were running one-two in the first race for quite a while when Jake had a slight off. It was good to see Graeme take up the baton and run with it to take his first win at the Maxxis British Championship, with Jake also having a good outing to finish second on the podium overall. It shows the work that the riders and the team have put in over the winter has really paid off. Natalie had two easy wins today for her KTM debut, and we are looking at moving her up into the MX2 class, as it’s important she has some competitive racing ahead of the World Championship season, which starts in April. Overall I’m happy with today and we will now to continue with this form at the Hawkstone Park pre-season international next weekend.”

Related posts:

1. HM Plant Red Bull KTM UK line-up confirmed for 2010
2. NUNN TAKES OVERALL WIN AT RED BULL SERIES OPENER
3. Success for Team Ireland at Red Bull Motocross of Nations

After four tests sessions over two days, Michel Fabrizio posted the quickest time of all at the official pre-season tests at Phillip Island, a 1′31.650, set on the final morning on his Ducati Xerox machine.

Shane Byrne (Althea Ducati) was second quickest, on a 1′31.662, while Jakub Smrz (Pata B&G Ducati) was one . . . → Read More: Fabrizio leaves with top SBK time]]>

After four tests sessions over two days, Michel Fabrizio posted the quickest time of all at the official pre-season tests at Phillip Island, a 1′31.650, set on the final morning on his Ducati Xerox machine.

Shane Byrne (Althea Ducati) was second quickest, on a 1′31.662, while Jakub Smrz (Pata B&G Ducati) was one of the riders to improve in the final session, taking his Ducati to third best time, only 0.030 seconds from Fabrizio.

Fastest rider on day one, Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati) was fourth overall, while the first of the four-cylinder riders, Jonathan Rea, was fifth in the combined rankings, having set his personal best time this afternoon on his Hannspree Ten Kate Honda.

The top ten on combined times was rounded out by Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox), Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare), Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia Racing), Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia Racing) and Max Neukirchner (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda).

Ruben Xaus was top BMW rider, 11th, and the fastest Yamaha man was James Toseland, 12th.

Troy Corser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) proved quickest of the local riders on show, one place ahead of Lorenzo Lanzi (DFX Corse Ducati) who set 14th best time.

Sylvain Guintoli (Suzuki Alstare) was 15th in a field of 24, and top Kawasaki rider was local man Chris Vermeulen, who took his machine to 16th place.

The top 20 riders were within just over two seconds of each other.

Michel Fabrizio
”I’m satisfied with the lap times because we were consistently fast. I found good race pace with one of the tyre compounds in particular and this bodes well for the weekend, but the result will very much depend on the weather. There are several fast guys here, so it will undoubtedly be a tough race weekend, as well as a hard-fought championship. It’s a difficult challenge but I’m ready to face it.”

Shane Byrne: “We had a bit of a problem in the afternoon session but it was good to make a fast time this morning. It was a little bit disappointing to get pipped this afternoon. But it is only a test so it is not the end of the world. It’s very positive for the team to have both riders high in the rankings going into next weekend. We can’t be too upset to finish second today by only a small margin.”

Times: 1. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1′31.650; 2. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1′31.662; 3. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1′31.680; 4. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1′31.959; 5. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1′32.175; 6. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1′32.247; 7. Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1′32.279; 8. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F 1′32.474; 9. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 1′32.621; 10. Neukirchner M. (GER) Honda CBR1000RR 1′32.691; 11. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1′32.714; 12. Toseland J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1′32.781; 13. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1′32.819; 14. Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1′32.830; 15. Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1′32.869; 16. Vermeulen C. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1′32.870

Lascorz tops Supersport times

Spanish rider Joan Lascorz (Provec Motocard.com Kawasaki) headed the field in the middleweight division at Phillip Island, securing the fastest lap of the tests in this morning’s session, with a 1′34.374.

Only one rider improved his best time in the afternoon sector, as track conditions deteriorated due to high winds and a drop in temperature right at the end of the day.

Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) was second in the rankings, 2009 Championship runner-up Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) was third and Sofuoglu’s team-mate Michele Pirro fourth.

Sebastien Charpentier (Triumph BE-1) proved to be in fine form in his championship return, going eighth from 17 riders after two days of testing. He was the fastest Triumph rider at the tests.

Times: 1. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1′34.374; 2. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR600RR 1′34.691; 3. Laverty E. (IRL) Honda CBR600RR 1′34.753; 4. Pirro M. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1′34.793; 5. Fujiwara K. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1′34.994; 6. Foret F. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1′35.060; 7. Roccoli M. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1′35.379; 8. Charpentier S. (FRA) Triumph Daytona 675 1′35.735

 

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The first official tests of the new SBK season get underway at Portimao between January 22 to 24 and the entry includes both riders and teams of the highest quality and quantity.

With some privateer teams still to confirm their final plans for 2010 there are already well over 20 top level riders . . . → Read More: World Superbike official test line-up brimming with talent]]>

KTM riders will race in the Dakar again on Pirelli’s new Scorpion Rally KTM rider Marc Coma and Jordi Viladoms will race in the Dakar again on Pirelli’s new Scorpion Rally, a tyre which made its debut by winning last year’s event as well as taking the runner-up spot.

These KTM team riders . . . → Read More: Weekend Ketchup – Dakar, Anstie, Yamaha and Langston]]>

KTM riders will race in the Dakar again on Pirelli’s new Scorpion Rally
KTM rider Marc Coma and Jordi Viladoms will race in the Dakar again on Pirelli’s new Scorpion Rally, a tyre which made its debut by winning last year’s event as well as taking the runner-up spot.

These KTM team riders trust in the performances of tyres which were demonstrated from their numerous wins and podiums throughout the 2009 season. The was developed specifically for these types of rally-raids, being more suitable than previous tyres for the high-speed and heavy beating taken in these extreme off-road conditions. is strongly committed to continuing this product’s development, which in its second year will take the series’ performance to a new level of excellence.

Marc Coma and Cyril Despres

“Pirelli is energized and eager to begin the upcoming Dakar race and participate in the 2010 FIM Cross-country Rally racing season in cooperation with these strong KTM riders. We are convinced that the 2010 season will be the best on record due to the significant efforts we have put forth in product development and testing.” – Guglielmo Fiocchi, Managing Director of Moto Business Unit, Pirelli Tyres.

Grant Langston Returns to Racing with O’neal

The last season Grant Langston raced was in 2007. The 25-year-old Langston ­­had battled his way thru the AMA National Motocross Series to win the Championship title in the premier 450 class! Grant then went onto the Las Vegas US Open in 2007 and also walked away victorious taking the 2007 US Open title!

After a World Championship title, 2 AMA Outdoor National titles, 2 Supercross Championship titles and a US Open title, it was clear, the young racer was in fact one of the most talented riders to ever grace the sport.

At the start of the 2008 Racing season Grants life took a tragic detour. Grant developed a problem with his vision. At first, it was thought to be a minor eye issue but was soon discovered to be Cancer of the eye. In true racers form, Grant battled the disease thru 2008. In early 2009, Grant was given a clean bill of health from his doctors. Indeed, the cancer was in remission and the unthinkable was told to Grant – He was clear to go racing!

Grants triumphant return to racing is no longer a dream. Grant will be entered into Round one of the US Supercross series in Anaheim California on January 9, 2010.

Grant is taking this journey seriously and has been carefully preparing his body, bike and equipment so that he has the absolute finest tools to compete throughout the 2010 season.

Grant has chosen O’NEAL protective apparel and Yamaha motorcycles for his triumphant return. Langston will compete in the 450 class for both the US Monster Supercross Series and the US AMA National Motocross series in 2010. “I was lucky and caught the cancer early. I spent 2008 treating the cancer and with the support of my family and friends have since recovered well. I have been training hard and am eager to be on the bike racing again.” Langston went on to say, “O’NEAL makes some fantastic gear and I am excited to be racing in their new 2010 line.”

O’NEAL, established in 1970, produces superior quality motorcycle protective apparel, helmets and accessories and distributes them worldwide. Frank Kashare, O’Neal’s Vice President said, “We are proud to be associated with Grant. He is an inspiration to all of us at O’NEAL and we look forward to racing with Grant for many years to come. He truly is a Champion on and off the track!”

Look for # 8 to be a regular on the podium throughout the Supercross and Outdoor National Series.

Yamaha Announces 2010 Race Teams

Yamaha Motor Corporation is proud to announce our largest ever contingent of Supercross/Motocross race teams for the 2010 season, this after a highly successful 2009 season, which saw San Manuel Yamaha’s James Stewart pilot his 2009 YZ450F to the prestigious 2009 FIM World Supercross title.

Team L&M and San Manuel Yamaha will once again have Stewart at the helm pursuing his third Supercross Championship. With a successful off-season and the all new 2010 YZ450F at his disposal, James is looking forward to making this season a most memorable one. James’ teammate at San Manuel Yamaha will be Josh Hill. A product of Yamaha’s amateur program, Josh has already proven himself as a threat to win main events after his maiden victory at Minneapolis in 2008. Josh returns fit and is ready for a fresh start and the opportunity to return to his rightful place on the podium.

Joe Gibbs Racing/Muscle Milk/Toyota team has 2009 Anaheim 1 winner Josh Grant returning for his sophomore season in the premier Supercross class. The surprise of 2009 with his solid performances both indoors and outdoors, Josh made the transition from the Lites class look easy. Joining him is newcomer to the team Justin Brayton. Winning the final AMA National moto of the year was a true breakthrough for Justin and combined with his impressive off-season performances, Justin starts out the 2010 Season ready for action.

DNA Shred Stix/Star Racing continues to be Yamaha’s official Lites team and with the new 2010 YZ250F, the team is ready for a successful season. During the off-season Star Racing made quite a few impressive rider acquisitions, hiring Nico Izzi, Martin Davalos and Max Anstie. Returning is team captain Broc Tickle who had his best season ever in 2009. Currently Tickle and Izzi are set to ride the West Coast rounds and Davalos and Anstie the East Coast rounds.

MotoConcepts Racing is joining the Yamaha Family for 2010. With the leadership of Michael Young as their Team Director and a successful freshman season under their belt, the team is looking to go big in 2010. Led by 450 riders Matt Goerke and Dan Reardon the team is looking to make an impact right off the bat. MotoConcepts will field four Lites riders, with seasoned veterans Ryan Sipes and Jeff Alessi showing the ropes to Vince Friese and Yamaha’s amateur standout Travis Baker. Alessi and Baker are set to race the West Coast rounds and Sipes and Friese the East Coast rounds.

After a very successful outdoor season in 2009, Valli Motorsports team owner Chad Lanza is entering the world of Supercross in a big way for 2010 with the hiring of two-time Supercross Lites Champion and 2005 AMA Lites National Champion Ivan Tedesco to be their premier class rider. With a wealth of experience, Tedesco is the perfect guy to put the Valli Motorsports 2010 YZ450F on the podium on a weekly basis.

Joining Ivan is rookie standout Kyle Regal who had some inspiring rides during the outdoor season with Valli Motorsports. Fresh out of the amateur ranks, Kyle’s entering his freshman season in Supercross, set to ride the West Coast rounds on the YZ250F and will be switching to the YZ450F for the outdoors.

Finally, former 125 AMA National Champion, 450 AMA National Champion and two-time Lites Supercross Champion Grant Langston will be returning to action in 2010 after embarking on a partnership with the JLaw/ampm/Boost Mobile Racing team. A fan favorite, Langston has battled back from a serious eye issue that almost had him retiring prematurely. Langston will be joined by another fan favorite and former West Coast Lites Champion, Jason Lawrence. Rounding out the team will be Sean Hamblin and Ryan Newton.

Riding Yamaha’s would be enough for riders like James Stewart, Nico Izzi, Ivan Tedesco and their teams to have a competitive advantage, but they also choose to outfit their race bikes with Yamaha’s exclusive line of GYTR (Genuine Yamaha Technology Racing) engine performance and functional products and Yamalube’s range of high performance lubricants.

“Unfortunately, there are only three positions on the podium!”, said Yamaha’s Racing Division Manager, Keith McCarty. “We have established strong new partnerships with some of the best and brightest Teams for the 2010 season and we look for Yamaha along with our in-house partners Yamalube, and GYTR to be the brands of choice!”

Related posts:

1. Weekend Ketchup – Phoenix images, videos and chat.
2. Weekend Ketchup – Stewart and Frenchman Pourcel rock in Houston
3. Weekend Ketchup – Phillipaerts, Cairoli, Desalle and Blazusiak

MotoGp History: Boasting 60 years of history, MotoGp is the oldest of all motorsports World Championships - its first annual competition having been held in 1949.

EARLY DAYS: When the first formal World Championship was held in 1949 MotoGp Grand Prix . . . → Read More: Motogp History]]>
MotoGp History:
Boasting 60 years of history, MotoGp is the oldest of all motorsports World Championships - its first annual competition having been held in 1949.

EARLY DAYS:
When the first formal World Championship was held in 1949 MotoGp Grand Prix racing comprised four solo classes, with the inaugural ‘premier class’ 500cc title being won by British rider Leslie Graham on AJS machinery. Another Brit, Freddie Frith (Velocette) took the first ever 350cc World title, while Italians Bruno Ruffo (Moto Guzzi) and Nello Pagani (Mondial) were the first 250cc and 125cc World Champions respectively.
A 600cc sidecar MotoGp championship in the same season was won by Britons Eric Oliver and Denis Jenkinson with Norton machinery, though the sidecar category became a 500cc competition in 1951.
The Italian manufacturers such as the aforementioned Mondial and Moto Guzzi firms, along with companies such as Gilera and MV Agusta, dominated the World Championships during the 1950s, reflecting the strength of the country’s motorcycle industry at the time. MV Agusta were particularly prolific late in the decade, taking a clean sweep of World titles across all four categories for three seasons from 1958 to 1960 – while their dominance in the 500cc class was unbroken for 17 years from 1958 until 1974.
THE SWINGING SIXTIES:
During the ‘60s the Japanese motorbike industry began to boom and during that decade many of the manufacturers that participate in modern day MotoGP racing, such as Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha, arrived to pick up their first World MotoGP Championship title wins across the 125, 250 and 500 categories, as they announced themselves in Grand Prix racing. Suzuki in particular enjoyed great success in a new 50cc class which was introduced in 1962.
The late ‘60s brought the start of the glory days for MotoGP Legend Giacomo Agostini – the most successful rider in the history of World MotoGP Championship competition. Up until the modern era riders regularly competed in two or three classes simultaneously and Agostini took 10 of his 15 titles in five successive seasons as double champion in 350cc and 500cc - in a golden period commencing in 1968, riding for MV Agusta.
At this time the escalating costs associated with MotoGP Grand Prix racing had reached such a level that several Japanese firms withdrew from competition - with only Yamaha left at the end of the ‘60s. In response the FIM introduced rules which limited the bikes to single cylinder engines in the 50cc class, two cylinders in 125cc and 250cc, and four cylinders in 350cc and 500cc.
LEVEL PLAYING FIELD:
In the period that followed the level playing field saw title wins for firms from Europe (Bultaco, Kreidler, Morbidelli, MV Agusta), Japan (Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha) and North America (Harley Davidson) – with the Japanese firms finally breaking MV Agusta’s stranglehold on the premier class by the mid 1970s.
After a break of almost 12 years from racing, Honda rejoined the World Championships in the late 1970s and by 1983 they had changed their philosophy from using 4-stroke machinery to build the V3 500 2-stroke, known as the NS500, on which Freddie Spencer took the 500cc World title – his first championship win and the first for Honda since their return to Grand Prix.
The previous season racing in the 350cc class had been brought to a conclusion after 34 years of competition, leaving four classes in the World Championship - 50cc, 125cc, 250cc and 500cc – with 50cc subsequently replaced by an 80cc category in 1984. A short lived affair, the 80cc motogp World Championship was contested for just six seasons, yielding four titles for Derbi, three courtesy of Spanish rider Jorge Martinez.
AMERICAN IDOLS:
The 1980s and 1990s saw some superb quality racing in the premier class in particular with fierce competition between Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha and some great battles between American stars such as Eddie Lawson, Randy Mamola, Freddie Spencer, Wayne Rainey and Kevin Schwantz. Meanwhile in the 125cc and 250cc categories European factories such as Derbi, Garelli and later Aprilia were fighting for the honours with the Japanese giants.
The long association that sidecars had with MotoGp Grand Prix racing came to an end after the 1996 season, when the class evolved into the Sidecar World Cup in 1997.
In the late 1990s the 500cc class was utterly dominated by Honda hero and MotoGP Legend Mick Doohan who took five consecutive titles, before a combination of racing injuries brought the Australian’s career to a premature end in 1999.
THE MODERN AGE
Before the revision of regulations which brought about the move to 990cc 4-stroke competition in the premier class - in line with modern engineering and production trends - a young Italian rider called Valentino Rossi took the last ever 500cc title in 2001 on Honda machinery, having won the 1997 edition of the 125cc championship and the 1999 quarter litre crown with Aprilia.
After the re-branding of the World Championship as MotoGp in 2002 and the introduction of 990cc racing, Rossi went on to win four further consecutive titles, two with Honda and two after a sensational move to Yamaha.
In recent seasons the lower cylinder categories have been ruled by young European riders preparing for MotoGP on Aprilia and Honda bikes, with Dani Perdosa epitomising the trend with three successive titles – one in 125 in 2003 followed by two in 250 – riding for Honda before moving into the premier class. In his first season in MotoGp Pedrosa shared the Repsol Honda pit-box with American rider Nicky Hayden, whose aggressive but consistent riding earned him the 2006 title and ended Rossi’s annual procession to glory.
At the start of the 2007 season, new rules restricting the number of tyres used on MotoGp Grand Prix weekends and a reduction in engine size from 990cc to 800cc again levelled the playing field in MotoGP – with Bridgestone-equipped Ducati Marlboro rider Casey Stoner emerging as the first standout rider of the new era, as the runaway 2007 World Champion. In 2008, however, Rossi returned to the pinnacle, taking his sixth premier class title, with Stoner a distant runner-up in the standings.